Cover for portable washtubs



(No Model.)

B. P. MAIDEN. I COVER FOR PORTABLE WASHTUBS. No. 558,824.

Patented Apr. 21, 1896.

Nirn TATES FFICEW RACHEL F. MAIDEN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

COVER FOR PORTABLE WASHTUBS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 558,824, dated April 21, 1896.

Application filed August 13,1895.

T0 to whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RACHEL F. MAIDEN, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Covers for Portable Vashtubs, of which the following i a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in covers forportable washtubs, and has for its object to do away with the necessity of using a washboiler and provide means whereby clothes may be scalded and steamed sufficiently to free them from dirt and assist in their bleaching, and at the same time prevent the escape of steam and unpleasant odors in the room where the tub is used.

With these ends in view the invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, and then specifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, I will describe its construction and operation in detail, referring by numbers to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is a perspective of a tub having-my improved cover applied thereto, and Fig. 2 is a section of the same.

Similar numbers denote like parts in both views of the drawings.

1 is a tub of ordinary construction, and 2 is a cover, preferably of galvanized sheet metal, having a beaded wing 3 for the purpose of rendering it more staple.

a are cut-away portions in the rim of the cover of such size and shape as to readily embrace the handles 5, and when the cover is in place upon the tub these notches or cut-away portions serve to retain it in its proper relative position to the tub and prevent it from becoming disarranged or knocked off, as will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 1..

6 is a suitable handle arranged to one side of the cover, so that it may be raised after the manner of a hinged cover, the opposite cut away portion forming a fulcrum upon which it may swing, and this is advantageous in placing clothes within a tub, as it obviates the $eria1N0. 559,123. (No model.)

necessity of entirely removing the cover from said tub.

In practice I have found that by the use of my improvement clothes may be whitened more readily than when the ordinary washboiler is used and the clothes are boiled, since any dirt that may remain in them when placed in the boiler will be set therein and become more difficult of removal thereafter. Thus it is often the case that clothes become yellowed by continued boiling.

The way in which I prefer to use my improvement is to place the clothes to be scalded within a tub and pour sufficient boiling water thereon to thoroughly saturate said clothes and then place the top upon the tub and permit the clothes to remain long enough to be thoroughly steamed. This obviates the he cessity of having to lift the boiler 011 and off the stove for the purpose of scalding, which greatly reduces the labor necessary in carrying on the process of washing.

A further advantage gained by the use of my improvement is that no steam or smell escapes from the tub into the room where the washing is being carried on, which will render this process more agreeable than heretofore, as well as avoiding injury to the walls, especially if they be papered, by the moisture transmitted to them'by the steam.

I have proved byexperiment that white flannel Wear, and especially counterpanes, may be treated by the use of my improved cover without undue shrinkage and injury, as is invariably the case when placed in a boiler and subjected to the action of ebullition.

hen the clothes have been thoroughly steamed, it is only necessary to remove the cover and attach a wringer to the edge of the tub, when, without the aid of handling, the clothes may be wrung and put through the blue water,which saves handling of the clothes when exceedingly hot, as has heretofore been the case when removing from the ordinary boiler to the blue water.

A further advantage in the use of my improvement is that the clothes do not come in contact with metal surfaces as when placed in a boiler, and therefore are not liable to become contaminated by rust and thus discolored. There is no need for the use of powders of any kind for assisting in cleansing the clothing, as the soap and steaming answers every purpose.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim as new and useful is 1. In combination With a portable Washtub, a cover made of sheet metahhavin g a strengthening' peripherieal bead, cut-away portions adapted to embrace the handles of said tub and a handle for swinging said cover upon one of said cut-away portions, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a cover for a portable Washtub, formed of a single piece of sheet metal having a strengtheningbead, and cut-away portions adapted to embrace the handles of a tub and a handle for maifilipulating said cover, substantially as speci- In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

- RACHEL F. MAIDEN. Witnesses S. S. WILLIAMSON, FRANK CRAVEN. 

